Digna Strautmane fell for the shot fake and stumbled beyond the 3-point arc. As Louisville’s Dana Evans sidestepped to her left, her release was interrupted by Strautmane grazing her back in a desperate defensive recovery.  

Once the referee’s whistle pierced the air during SU’s upset win over No. 5 Louisville on Sunday and the Cardinals went back to the foul line, Strautmane sauntered back to the bench with two fouls. 

Through Syracuse’s first 23 games, only 37 teams in the country have committed more fouls. Fouls have hindered SU’s already weak defense this season, and nine times this year the Orange have accumulated more than 20 violations in a single game. That mostly starts with guards not containing ball handlers up top, multiple players and coaches said, which eventually leaves forwards to suffer at the rim. 

“Because then the rotation messes up and then certain players have to play more minutes than they’re probably used to and it’s just all messed up,” center Amaya Finklea-Guity said. 

Behind a 2-3 zone featuring Miranda Drummond and Tiana Mangakahia up top, SU forced 17.9 turnovers per game last season, 1.4 more than this year. Their pressure — both man and zone — stifled opponents into rushed passes and forced decisions before reaching the half-court line. It was a dictated pace, one that Syracuse used to complement its offensive strategy predicated on shooting within the opening third of the shot clock. 

But this year, that defensive impact has disappeared until Syracuse’s last two games. Part of that stems from SU’s 37.7% shooting percentage — the fewer baskets made, the fewer chances to set up the press. Guards Gabrielle Cooper and Kiara Lewis haven’t trapped opponents to the same extent as past combinations and press-breaking lanes open up. 

Roshan Fernandez | Asst. Digital Editor

Against Louisville, Evans and fellow guard Jazmine Jones sprinted freely down the sideline early on and just one additional pass opened lanes that ended in layups or fouls. 

Breakdowns with the guards happen even when the Orange drop back into their half-court, 2-3 zone, Maeva Djaldi-Tabdi said. When opposing guards beat the top two defenders, forwards and weak-side defenders don’t have enough time to slide over into help position. Late arrivals often mean open layups or desperate fouls to prevent them.   

“We’re not guarding the ball, so obviously the back cannot stop everything,” Djaldi-Tabdi said after a 30-point loss to Duke on Jan. 23. “We’re trying to, but it’s kind of hard trying to get to every ball and to every player.” 

Finklea-Guity’s shootaround socks 

It might be a pair of socks that revitalizes Finklea-Guity’s junior season. Before the year, high school and AAU coaches called the 2019-2020 season Finklea-Guity’s “breakout year” but instead she’s lost some minutes to Djaldi-Tabdi, the backup center. 

One reason for Finklea-Guity’s shrinking role is frequent misses on open looks down low. When Finklea-Guity drove to the basket and attempted a layup in the season opener against 5-foot-11 Erica Johnson, she clumsily missed the shot off the backboard. A nice touch on turnaround baby hooks and other post moves is overshadowed by downhill struggles off pick-and-rolls.  

“I’m having to battle so much that once I go up I’m still in that battle mode,” Finklea-Guity said. “So I have to be like, ‘OK Amaya, calm down, make sure you actually finish the shot and see it through.”

Roshan Fernandez | Asst. Digital Editor

So her mother, Paula, recommended a sock. It’s something small and easy to use in her South Campus apartment, and it can help hone a soft touch, finish and follow through. Finklea-Guity will toss the sock in the air, mimicking a layup’s footwork, catch it and then repeat the motion. 

After not scoring in double-digits for eight consecutive games, Finklea-Guity has now topped 10 points in two of her last four (13 and 12). To open last Sunday’s game against the Cardinals, she backed down Louisville’s Kylee Shook in the paint, and Emily Engstler swung a pass toward the left block. In one motion, Finklea-Guity caught the ball, drop-stepped and banked in Syracuse’s first points off the glass. 

“You’re going to have to give her another pair (of socks) because it’s working,” Hillsman said. 

Sprinter’s speed 

When Drummond graduated after last season, Syracuse not only lost its best 3-point shooter but also its fastest runner.  

When the Orange did any type of conditioning, Drummond led the pack, junior backup guard Lauren Fitzmaurice said. Short distance? Drummond bolted in front. Long distance? She had the pace and long strides to outlast forwards and other guards. 

Last summer, Fitzmaurice’s goal was to become Syracuse’s new fastest runner. The walk-on guard wasn’t lined up for many minutes, if any, but still alternated between sprints and distance intervals daily in her hometown of Mazama, Washington.  

“While I felt like I was getting out of shape sometimes because I wasn’t doing it as much, as soon as I got here I realized I was in really good shape,” Fitzmaurice said. 

Back in high school, Fitzmaurice broke a Liberty Bell (Washington) High School record for the high jump, and her father, Peter, ran cross-country and track at Stanford. The 100- and 300-meter hurdles, long jump and high jump were all events Fitzmaurice used to complement soccer and basketball. 

When she came back after the summer, Fitzmaurice and her Syracuse teammates lined up for “the loop” — toward the Women’s Building, east on Euclid, “a right turn up the big hill and then go down the mini hill,” and then back down toward Manley Fieldhouse. She jogged out in front from the start, and by the time Syracuse finished the two-mile route, Fitzmaurice was still in the lead.  

“Lolo’s always…” guard Elemy Colome started, “She’s (always) just gone.” 

Published on February 12, 2020 at 12:12 am

Contact Andrew: arcrane@syr.edu | @CraneAndrew